Volunteers from the community are helping neighbourhood police keep Little Stoke and Stoke Gifford safe. Since the volunteers signed up in autumn 2009 they have helped police identify anti-social behaviour (ASB) hotspots, enabled officers to seize alcohol from underage drinkers, identified 60 speeding vehicles and carried out community clean-ups.

Neighbourhood PC Mark Graham said: �We asked for volunteers to help us tackle the three issues that the community had told us were their priorities: speeding, ASB and littering.

�These people are making a real difference to their community. Making the neighbourhood safer and stronger is a team effort. Police work with other agencies like South Gloucestershire Council, but we need the support of local people as well.�

Volunteers are vetted and trained as:

� Community wardens, who patrol in pairs identifying potential ASB hotspots so that a police team can attend or

� Community Speed Watch members, who use speed guns to carry out checks on traffic at hotspots identified by residents. They take the registration details of speeding vehicles and the police send the drivers a warning letter.
People who volunteered to help collect litter were referred to an existing local group and the council�s Street Care team.

PC Graham said: �Information from the volunteers is helping us target our patrols more effectively to tackle community priorities. With just a few more volunteers we could make even more of a difference.�

Anyone who wants to join the volunteer group can contact the neighbourhood team at Filton Police Station by calling 0845 456 7000 or e-mailing ssnfilton@avonandsomerset.police.uk

The next public meeting to discuss policing priorities for the area will be held at Little Stoke Hall at 7pm on June 30 2010.

Anyone unable to attend the meeting can raise any policing issues with the team by calling Filton Police Station or visiting the police website – www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/inyourarea